The Social House restaurant, previously discussed here, was reviewed by the Guide Live of the Dallas Morning News on May 30, 2007. I had heard of this review, but only just looked it up. I'm afraid that the food commentary was probably not what the owners would have wanted and doesn't correspond to my personal experiences. I'm well familiar and experienced with pubs, both our American efforts and their true British predecessors, and appreciate the intentions of a gastro pub. These intentions were clearly identified by the clients at the start of the project; the comfort and warmth of a traditional pub, but none of the rustic qualities commonly associated with pubs on this side of the Atlantic. And of course, better food than what would otherwise be expected.
Judging from the comments about other gastro pub offerings, it seems to me the reviewer equates quality with pretension. Sheeps ricotta gnudi? Lamb belly? It is from such sources as the television chefs suggested for inspiration in the review that I have come to understand that good food typically shares the qualities of freshness, locally sourced, carefully and simply prepared. On these counts, I have always found the Social House to be well beyond traditional pub fair. But then, I may not be truly objective.
This is not a foodie blog, however. If you can hang with the review to the final three paragraphs, you will find statements such as " The setting is definitely the strong suit at the Social House." and "...but the hidden gem is the main dining room..." . Hard for me to take exception to these sentiments.
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